Benchmark Estimating Software’s flexibility to interface with other business systems helps Brisbane CityWorks manage projects and resources across the business

Brisbane CityWorks is one of Queensland’s largest civil construction and maintenance organisations, and is a part of the largest local government authority in Australia, Brisbane City Council. The Brisbane CityWorks corporate vision is, “to be an innovative business, dedicated to achieving growth and excellence by providing outstanding integrated civil construction and maintenance services to all customers”.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Brisbane CityWorks Asphalt Operations Group have implemented Benchmark Estimating Software; this reflects their desire to be innovative, facilitates the continued growth of the organisation, and integrates their business systems so they efficiently and effectively deliver to their customers.

Optimising resource usage and knowledge management

Benchmark Estimating Software’s new ‘Resource-based Export to Microsoft Project’ module, which allows organisations to more effectively manage their jobs, has also helped Brisbane CityWorks better manage their plant resources across the entire council. Asphalt Operations Manager Doug O’Brien says, “we wanted to use the new ‘Export to Microsoft Project’ to balance our demand for shared plant resources across council. Now that we have achieved this, we can evaluate resource demand in the short to medium term to optimise the utilisation of our resources.”

This ability of Benchmark Estimating Software to integrate with other business systems also helps Brisbane CityWorks share knowledge throughout the organization to better manage and plan projects. Brisbane CityWorks are currently implementing Microsoft Project Server and are planning on having Benchmark Estimating Software integrate with this software as well.

Easy updating of resource costs

Benchmark Estimating Software’s ability to manage detailed resource costs provides unparalleled accuracy and, as Doug points out, is very easy to do; “we recently had an increase in wages, and it was extremely easy to update the resource costs for labour across all of our current estimates and field projects from the one screen. This ensured we made the appropriate allowances and did not blow out the budget”.

The ideal estimating system for Public Works

Benchmark Estimating Software is now the number one estimating system for the Public Works, and Doug O’Brien believes the pressure of stringent budgets is the main reason why Benchmark Estimating Software works so well for local government authorities. The software’s accuracy and transparent structure “makes it very easy to drill down into your estimate in great detail. This allows you to plan your costs and work tightly with your fixed budget.”